Role of Teacher Education Pedagogy in Developing Communication Competences among Teacher Trainees. A Case of Makerere University – Uganda

International Journal of Excellence Innovation and Development
||Volume 1, Issue 1, Nov. 2018||Page No. 038-045||
www.ijeid.com {IJEID © 2018} All Rights Reserved Page | 38
Role of Teacher Education Pedagogy in
Developing Communication Competences
among Teacher Trainees. A Case of Makerere
University – Uganda
Alfred Buluma1
, Betty Akullo Ezati2
, Rovincer Najjuma3
1
PhD in Education Candidate, Department of Foundations and Curriculum Studies, School of Education, Makerere University,
Kampala, Uganda.
2
Associate Professor of Education, School of Education, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
3
Senior Lecturer of Curriculum Studies, School of Education, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
Abstract––This article explains the communication
competences that teacher education pedagogy at
Makerere University equips to her teacher trainees
through her two pre – service teacher education
programs of Bachelor of Arts with Education and
Bachelor of Science with Education. Data was collected
from 134 third year teacher trainees using self-
administered questionnaires (SAQs) as well as
observation checklists and researchers‟ reflections on
education practices at School of Education, Makerere
University. SAQs were administered to establish teacher
trainees‟ perceptions of the various communication
competences they felt that had been developed in them
as a result of the various pedagogical activities they have
been engaged in during the course of their studies in the
two teacher education programs. On the other hand,
observation checklists were prepared on various
communication competences that teacher trainees were
expected to practically demonstrate in their lessons
during school practice. Data collected indicates that
teacher education pedagogy of Makerere University
develops in teacher trainees‟ multiple communication
competences like understanding other people‟s ideas that
are different from their own perspective, accepting
suggestions from their colleagues as they work on their
assignments, paying attention to nonverbal cues of
others, giving and accepting critical feedback when
necessary, looking at people when listening to them as
well as speaking at appropriate volume levels. However,
there were also other communication competences that
are yet to be fully developed among teacher trainees like
redirecting conversations when people rattle on and on,
ease at receiving compliments, complementing and
praising others, and speaking the truth more especially if
saying it can upset another person or make matters
worse. Based on the findings in the study, the
researchers recommend the need use more active
teaching and learning methods of teaching that can offer
teacher trainees more opportunities to communicate with
each other so as even the competences that are not fully
developed can be embraced by teacher trainees during
such interactions. Some of these pedagogies include
tutorials, online pedagogy as well as debates as part of
the normal lectures.
Index Terms––Communication competences, teacher
education pedagogy, teaching profession, teacher
trainees
INTRODUCTION
This study was conducted in order to find out the
communication competences which teacher education
pedagogy equips in its recipients in the two preservice
teacher education programs of Makerere University. The
reasons for this study were based on Reddy (2017)‟s
analogy that „No matter which career you pursue, you
need to be an expert at communication as well as
Janthon, et al (2014) and Kivunja (2014)‟s attribution to
communication skills as the key to success in any given
career in the 21st century. Indeed, for one to function
successfully academically and professionally, one needs
not only to learn effective oral communication skills but
also effective listening, writing, reading and nonverbal
communication (Akinola, 2014). However, excellent
communication skills are to a large extent not in born
talent but skills that have to be developed into teacher
trainees through scaffolding the potential skills of
writing, listening, public speaking, interaction among
others (Reddy, 2017). The nature of the teaching
profession has a triple down effect on the rest of the
population in the country, so if teachers are not carefully
prepared by teacher training institutions, there are high
chances that their communication in classrooms, as well
as the larger school community will be very ineffective.
LITERATURE REVIEW
ONCOMMUNICATION COMPETENCES
AND THE TEACHING FRATERNITY
Hunt (1987) cited in Loy (2006) defines communication
as “the process of people sending and receiving
information.” Communication is an interpersonal
process that requires two or more individuals sending
and receiving messages and meaning (Loy, 2006). The
ability to communicate is integral in all professions and
occupations. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills
(P21, 2009) as cited by Kivunja (2014) delineates five
sets of communication skills needed in any given career.
These are; “the ability to articulate thoughts and ideas
effectively, both orally and nonverbally, the ability to

Role of teacher education pedagogy in developing communication competences Buluma et al.
listen and make sense of what is being said, the ability to
utilize communication effectively, the ability to utilize a
wide range of media and related technologies and ability
to communicate in different environments.” Reddy
(2017) refines the most important communication skills
to be „listening, reading, speaking, body language and
technological communication‟. Thus, the nature of
human communication comes in the forms of verbal,
written and nonverbal. Verbal communications are
always accompanied by gestures and facial expressions,
while written communication comes accompanied by
tables and graphs (Carvalho, 2007).
Without any doubt therefore, we come to an agreement
that communication skills are equally needed by the
teaching fraternity as the main job of a teacher is about
communication as precisely put by Hunt et al, (2002)
that, “A teacher encounters multiple communication
exchanges each day with students, other teachers,
administrators, and parents.” And in instances where a
teacher fails to communicate, no educational proposal can
successfully get through to the learners in one‟s
classroom (Carvalho, 2007). A successful teaching
proposal to be realized requires what Eskandarjouy
(2013) refers to as a transactional process that enables
educators and students to create joint communication
climates which changes from moment to moment as the
conversation unfolds and the thoughts, attitudes and
behaviors of both parties influencing each other in some
way. An aspect considered by McLoughlin& Luca (2000)
as the negotiated model of communication which puts
emphasis on giving and taking of ideas among equals.
It is important to note that the communication skills used
every day by teachers are to a large extent not in born
talents but skills that have to be developed and improved
through awareness, training and practice (Planas&Er,
2008). Reddy (2017) argue that “Some brilliant people
are unable to impart the knowledge that they have onto
other people because they lack effective communication
skills.” This necessitates teacher education programs to
include training of teacher trainees in a range of
communication skills (Hunt et al, 2002). For example,
oral communication is a unique and learned rhetorical
skill that requires understanding what to say and how to
say it (Kaitholil, 2007). Speech in more formal
environments does not come naturally (Kaitholil, 2007).
What should be learnt is how to critically think about
how to present oneself as a speaker in all occasions and
also how to function in a variety of speaking
environments (Kaitholil, 2007). Oral communication can
take many forms, ranging from informal conversation
that occurs spontaneously and, in most cases, for which
the content cannot be planned, to participation in
meetings, which occurs in a structural environment,
usually with a set agenda (Akinola, 2014).As a speaker
there are several elements of oral communication of
which one need to be aware of in order to learn how to
use them to his/her advantage in order to be able to
communicate effectively (Akinola, 2014). These
elements are; sender, message, channel, receiver and
feedback. It is usually erroneously assumed that the
learners know these basics of oral communication
(Akinola, 2014).Trilling and Fadel (2009) as cited by
Kivunja (2014) offers a range of other communication
competences that have to be developed in the
21st
centuryteachers such as: articulation of thoughts and
ideas using oral, written and nonverbal communication
skills; active listening; using communication for
different purposes; ability to use a wide range of media
technologies and ability to communicate in diverse
environments, including the use of a variety of languages
other than their own. This study anticipated to hear from
teacher trainees of Makerere University in Uganda on
how the various pedagogical activities they are engaged
in have helped them develop these competences. It
equally observed teacher trainees‟ communication
competences in the researchers‟ perspective.
CONTEXT OF THE AREA OF STUDY
Makerere University was the first government university
in Uganda to offer teacher education programs until the
early 2000s when other government universities like
Kyambogo University and Gulu University were
established (Kagoda&Ezati, 2014). Despite being the
first university to offer teacher education in Uganda,
Makerere University has only two undergraduate pre –
service teacher education programs. Namely; Bachelor
of Arts with Education and Bachelor of Science with
Education. These undergraduate teacher education
programs study for a period of three academic years.
During the course of their studies, teacher trainees are
taught subject content from the faculties of science, Arts,
and Economics while they are taught pedagogical related
content at the School of Education (Kagoda&Sentongo,
2015). There is no standalone course unit at School of
Education taught to teacher trainees with respect to
communication skills, therefore all the possible
communication skills that these teacher trainees graduate
with are either a result of the topic on communication
process in the Educational Technology course unit or the
informal curriculum teacher trainees are subjected to
through the mode of teaching and assessment by various
lecturers as they pursue their studies in the three
academic years.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
One of the most important 21st
century competence for
all professions including teaching is the ability to
communicate. However, given the current curriculum
offered to teacher trainees at School of Education,
Makerere University, this skill has been given low
attention as there is no standalone course unit on any of
the teacher education programs to help in equipping the
essential communication competences expected in the
21st
century graduate teachers. Consequently, this study
was carried out to establish the nature of communication
skills that teacher trainees develop informally from the
various teacher educators‟ pedagogical activities.
PURPOSE
The main purpose of this study was to find out Makerere
University teacher trainees‟ perception of the nature of
communication competences they develop informally
from the various teacher educators‟ pedagogical
activities.

METHODOLOGY
This study surveyed the perceptions of the 2017/2018
third year teacher trainees on the forms of
communication competences they developed throughout
their stay at the university from 2015/2016. It was a
largely quantitative study that used both close ended and
open ended questionnaire. Four research assistants were
used to administer close ended questionnaires to third
year teacher trainees. Close ended questions were given
to respondents so as to provide the researchers‟
predetermined communication competences for
respondents to choose from the Likert scale of strongly
disagree, disagree, not sure, agree and strongly agree
their perception of the extent to which a particular
communication competence had been developed.
Another close ended questionnaire based on the same
Likert scale was administered by the researchers during
school practice as an observation checklist for the
various communication competences teacher trainees
would demonstrate during their lessons that they had
prepared to be supervised. Therefore, the results of the
observation checklist are for lessons where teacher
trainees were demonstrating their best performance of all
the pedagogical competences that include
communication. There was also an open ended
questionnaire that was administered to third years in
May 2018 to collect their views on the forms of
communication competences that teacher trainees
thought had been developed as a result of pursuing
studies in their respective teacher education programs.
All teacher trainees that participated were in their final
semester of their final year although they have diverse
backgrounds in terms of teacher education programs,
subjects offered, secondary schools attended as well as
their study time at the university.
SAMPLE
A total of 134 third year teacher trainees participated in
the study, 77 responded to close ended self-administered
questionnaires, 24 to open ended questionnaire and 33
accepted to have their school practice lessons be rated
for communication competences they exhibited.
Responses are first segregated in terms of lesson
observation checklist and close ended responses and
later analyzed concurrently together with the open ended
question responses. Data was analyzed according to the
objectives that guided the study.
PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS
The research results are contextually situated to teacher
trainees of Makerere University. Specifically, results
reported were conducted among third year teacher
trainees of 2017/2018. The results in Table 1 reflect the
comparative perceptions in terms of percentages of the
teacher trainees‟ responses to the questions posed to
them on the self-administered questionnaire with the
observations of researchers of teacher trainees‟
communication competences demonstrated during
school practice. The percentages indicated in the table
were generated from the SPSS data that was first
calculated on the basis of Likert Scale of strongly
disagree, disagree, not sure, agree and strongly agree.But
for purposes of this article, researchers added up totals of
both agree and strongly agree to represent the
percentages that show that teacher trainees had
developed the various communication competence
through the various pedagogical activities that the
2015/2016 Bachelor of Arts with Education as well as
Bachelor of Science with Education cohort had been
engaged in.
Table 1: Communication Competences Developed by
Teacher Education Pedagogy of Makerere University.
Relevant 21st
Communication Skills
Teacher
Trainees’
Response
to SAQ
(%)
Researchers’
Observations
Ratings
(%)
Understands ideas that are
different from one‟s
perspective
98.8 39.4
Pay attention to nonverbal
cues of others
95.3 24.3
Accurately paraphrase other
people‟s words
84.2 57.4
Accept suggestions from
people with whom one is
working with on an
assignment
94.8 -
Ask for more details and
clarification
86.9 51.5
Give critical feedback when
necessary
90.8 66.7
Accept critical feedback
when necessary
90.8 -
Accept critical feedback from
others
87.9 80
Openly acknowledge one‟s
errors
76.3 24.3
Ask others for critical
feedback
86.5 45.5
Express ones ideas when they
differ from other people‟s
ideas
86.8 48.5
Capture other people‟s
attention when one is talking
82.2 69.7
Compliment or Praise others 75 54.5
Speak the truth even if saying
it can upset someone or make
matters worse
71 54.6
Easily receive a compliment 73.7 -
First let the other person
finish talking before one can
react to what the other person
was saying
88.2 63.7
Take an appropriate amount
of notes when listening to
others
84.2 39.4
Use pauses and silence to
allow other people to
understand the points one is
making
82.7 48.5

Use variations in the tone of
voice to emphasize key
points
84.2 36.4
Talk at a speed which enables
everyone to understand what
one is saying
70.6 78.8
Use hand movements and
gestures to reinforce the
points one is making
85.5 81.8
Pronounce words clearly so
that everyone understands
them first time
84.2 36.4
Speak at an appropriate
volume level – not too loud
and not too soft
92 81.8
Hold a direct eye contact
when one is speaking to other
people
84.3 48.5
Look at people when
listening to them
92.1 69.7
Expression of ideasface to
face in a concise way so that
one can easily be understood
86.7 78.7
Redirect the conversation
when people rattle on and on
75 51.5
Communicate with non-
educational professionals
89.5 -
Table 1 indicates that this study studied twenty-eight
communication competences that are expected to be
possessed by the 21st
century teachers.
INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINDINGS
To begin with is the communication competence that
requires teacher trainees to understand ideas that are
different from their own perspective. 98.8% of the
teacher trainees held a view that they had developed this
competence. However, observations of lessons indicated
that only 39.4% of the teacher trainees were in position
to express this competence before their learners. There
were instances in classes where teacher trainees were not
willing to accept divergent answers given to them by
their students during discussion sessions. Similarly,
some teacher trainees during conferencing after their
lesson observations would hesitantly accept critical
criticism from their supervisors especially in relation to
the order of the content in the scheme of work as well as
writing subtopics that are completely out of range. For
example, there was a situation of a teacher trainee of
Literature in English who was teaching techniques used
by novel writers and termed them as dramatic techniques
in a novel. Whereas the former is generic, the latter is
very specific and one of the techniques that a novel
writer can use to present his message to his/her readers/
audience. The major point of contention with this teacher
trainee was teaching dramatic technique as the generic
techniques. The situation was worsened by the fact that
the supervisor who had supervised this teacher trainee
was assumed by the teacher trainee to be from a
background that had no any grounding in Literature. The
teacher trainee insisted and even reached an extent of
calling her lecturer of Literature methods to help guide
the supervisor. Unfortunately, the lecturer to be called
her phone couldn‟t be reached at that time because it was
off. However, among the 39.4% of the teacher trainees
that were observed on this competence, there were
exceptional cases who would easily take in divergent
points from their students during brainstorming and
discussion sessions of lessons observed by supervisors.
This very category also had teacher trainees who were
receptive to critical feedback during conferencing after
their lesson supervision. Some of these exceptionally
good teacher trainees even could ask their supervisors to
talk about the weaknesses that had been identified during
their lessons and offer possible suggestions for
improvement.
Paying attention to nonverbal cues of others was another
communication competence that was studied. Results
indicate that 95.3% of the teacher trainees who
participated in the study held a view that they had
developed this competence. Teacher trainees have
opportunities to attend to nonverbal cues of others
through student presentations, debates, group and whole
class discussions held as part of lecture proceedings, and
discussions held outside lecture rooms as they prepare
their coursework assignments as well as for the end of
semester examinations. Unfortunately, the claim put
forward by teacher trainees that they have developed the
ability to pay attention to nonverbal cues was not
substantiated by lesson observations. Only 24.3% of the
teacher trainees that were observed were in position to
demonstrate this competence. Rarely, would teacher
trainees be seen paying attention to their learners‟
nonverbal cues. In some instances, students would not
pay attention to their teachers and some learners would
out rightly sleep during lessons but teacher trainees
wouldn‟t get them back on track or wake them up.
An average of 82% of the participants indicated that they
had developed the abilities to use nonverbal cues to
communicate with colleagues. 82.7% believe that they
use pauses and silence to allow other people to
understand the points one is making. However, this was
highly contrasted by data collected from lessons that
were observed as only 48.5% of the teacher trainees that
were observed actually demonstrated this competence
while explaining points to their students. 84.2% of the
teacher trainees believe that they have the ability to vary
the tone of their voices in order to emphasize key points.
However, just like the case was with use of pauses to
allow people understand, even in this case, there is a
glaring contrast from what actually teacher trainees
demonstrated in lessons with only 36.4% of the
participants demonstrating this competence. Another
nonverbal cue studied was the ability to talk at a speed
which enables everyone to understand what one is
saying. In regard to this variable, there is seemingly a
close relationship between teacher trainees‟ perceptions
and their actual practice during school practice as the
data indicates that 70.6% of the participating teacher
trainees hold the opinion that they have developed this
competence and actually 78.8% of the participants
demonstrated this ability during school practice in their

lessons. There were also 84.3% who reported that they
can hold a direct eye contact when speaking to other
people and actually, 48.5% of the lessons supervised
demonstrated this ability as they would closely look at
their students though there were also instances of those
who were seen staring on the roof as well as speaking to
their learners while facing the chalkboard. Finally, and
mostly developed nonverbal cue is the use of hand
movements and gestures to reinforce the points one is
making. 85.5% of the participants believed they have
developed this attribute and at the same time 81.8% of
the teacher trainees observed teaching were actually seen
using this nonverbal competence.
On the variable of accuracy in paraphrasing other
people‟s words, 84.2% of the teacher trainees that
participated in the study believe that they have
developed this competence. Development of this
competence was attributed to discussions teacher
trainees are always engaged in as well as active teaching
learning methods used by some teacher educators such
as presentations and debates integrated into lectures. On
the other hand, lessons that were observed, at least
57.4% of the teacher trainees that were observed were in
position to demonstrate this competence as they would
always be heard restating and clarifying points that were
being raised by their students in lesson proceedings.
94.8% of the teacher trainees that participated in the
study indicated that they had developed the ability to
accept suggestions from their colleagues as they were
working on their assignments. Working as a team
requires the ability to negotiate and renegotiate meaning
and interpretations of questions. If you are not open to
positive criticism of the ideas you raise in argument or
academic discussion, then you are liable to fall out with
discussion group members. Thus, because teacher
trainees believe they have developed the ability to
willingly receive other people‟s suggestions could as
well be the reason as to why 90.8% of the participants
were of the view that they had equally developed the
abilities to give and receive critical feedback when
necessary. Indeed, 66.7% of the supervised lessons were
in agreement with the teacher trainees‟ opinion that they
would give critical feedback to their learners when they
were asked questions or when they were trying to orally
assess learners‟ contributions to classroom based
questions as well as discussions, role plays and
brainstorming sessions they would use as methods of
teaching their lessons. Likewise, 86.5% and 80% of the
teacher trainees indicated that they can now ask others
for critical feedback and developed the willingness to
receive critical feedback from others respectively. One
of the researchers would guide teacher trainees in
reflecting on one of the lesson proceedings and would
ignore the second lesson observed on any single day.
This supervisor encountered a teacher trainee who asked
him for feedback in both of the subjects she had taught
that day, and clearly stated „I need to know my mistakes
in my S.3 English language so as I can improve and
prepare for the next supervisor and my practice as well.‟
This is such a rare encounter from teacher trainees but
that willingness to learn from critical feedback from
others is starting to be developed among teacher trainees.
In line with the above attribute, there were another
86.9% teacher trainees who informed the researchers
that they always ask for more details and clarification on
issues or explanations that are not clear. Such
clarifications are sought in active teaching learning
methods like debates, students led presentations, whole
class discussions during lectures as well as in their group
proceedings outside lecture rooms as they are working
on group assignments as well as general discussions in
preparation for end of semester examinations. During
school practice, 51.5% of the teacher trainees were in
position to seek for clarifications from their students
during lessons as well as from supervisors during pre
and post lesson conferencing. Some of these teacher
trainees would seek for clarification on the choice of
teaching aids to use in their lessons, how best they would
have used them as well as some methods of teaching that
would appear challenging like distinguishing for them
discussion and brainstorming methods of teaching as
well as supervisors becoming clear on the formats of
schemes of work that they would prepare during school
practice. Some would specifically tell you that, “In
curriculum they told us to state our objectives in
reference to end of the week while in the subject
methods they told us end of period, so what should we
use as the most appropriate format?” In effect, they
never wanted to make avoidable mistakes in their
pedagogical documents. Other teacher trainees in
History would always ask supervisors that “you need us
to use teaching aids in our lessons, but what type of
teaching aids can one use in History for a topic like the
causes of Bantu Migration into East Africa?” Teacher
trainees of history were so much concerned with
teaching aids because 11% of the school practice marks
are dedicated to them. Hence, one‟s failure to use
teaching aids is a recipe for poor performance in school
practice and yet it has got the highest credit unit for
students offering undergraduate teacher education
programs of Makerere University.
Besides accepting positive feedback and seeking for
clarifications on matters that seem not to be clear to
teacher trainees, 76.3 % of the participants informed the
researchers that by their third year of teacher education
programs of Makerere University they had developed the
ability to openly acknowledge their errors in pedagogical
discourses. They informed the researchers that there are
course units like Educational Technology, teaching
techniques and Planning for Teaching, Evaluation of
Instruction as well as Supervision and Guidance to
School Practice where they have to make individual
presentations as they are submitting individual course
works before the course facilitators. That no coursework
mark can be given to them unless they acknowledge
errors in their assignments and rectify them.
Unfortunately, during school practice only, 24.3% of the
teacher trainees supervised demonstrated this attribute
during lessons as well as during conferencing.

Data collected has revealed that 92% of the teacher
trainees believe that teacher education pedagogy at
Makerere University has enabled them to develop the
ability to speak at appropriate levels dependent on their
audience. They decide on when to be loud and when to
be soft based on the occasion and purpose of
communication. This competence was also observed in
81.9% of the lessons supervised by the researchers
during school practice. An implication that, teacher
trainees‟ opinions were to a large extent coherent with
supervisors‟ observations during school practice. Hence
credit has to be given to facilitators as well as the mode
of teaching and assessment that are used during the
teacher formation processes at Makerere University.
Not only have teacher trainees developed the ability to
speak at appropriate levels, they have also developed the
competence of looking at people when listening to them.
Listening is necessary to complete the communication
process. Teachers need to listen to their learners in class,
their colleagues in the staff room, their bosses or school
administrators, parents as well as other institution
stakeholders. Flaws in this competence are a likely cause
of many disagreements. The good news is that, data
collected revealed that 92.1% of the teacher trainees that
participated indicated that they had been in position to
develop this competence. Even during school practice,
69.7% of the lessons observed indicated that teacher
trainees were in position to listen to their learners when
they were asking questions or responding to questions
that teacher trainees had posed. Thus three thirds of
teacher trainees observed being in position to
demonstrate this competence is a credit to teacher
education programs for having incorporated this skill as
part of their pedagogy.
In addition to looking at people as they speak, 88.2% of
teacher trainees that participated have a feeling that they
have developed the ability to be patient and first let
someone finish talking before they can react to what the
other person has been saying. This is quite a rare
attribute in human transactions as people are good at
interrupting their colleagues while communicating.
Indeed, quite a number are impatient with others in
verbal communications whether on phone or face to
face. Quite a number of people instead of listening, they
are quite often preoccupied with the nature of response
they will give. If 88.2% of teacher trainees believe that
they have developed this attribute and to a large extent
supported by their actions on this attribute during school
practice where 63.7% of the teacher trainees observed
teaching were in position to demonstrate this attribute in
class while listening to learners as well as letting
supervisors first talk about their strength and weaknesses
in the lessons observed before they would respond and
seek clarification, it is another credit to give to teacher
education pedagogy of Makerere University.
84.2% of the respondents to the SAQ reported that they
can pronounce words clearly so that everyone
understands them first time. Teacher trainees indicated
that by the end of the three years of their teacher
education programs, they had developed the ability to
clearly pronounce words as they ask questions,
addressing assemblies and when explaining concepts to
learners in their classes. Alongside this ability, teacher
trainees who responded to the open ended questionnaire
reported that they can now articulate words so well, they
have improved upon their spoken English which is the
official language in Uganda‟s classrooms with exception
of local languages taught in both primary and secondary
schools like Luganda, Lusoga, Luo, Lango and
Runyakitara. However, observations done during school
practice indicated that only 36.4% of the teacher trainees
had the ability to articulate and pronounce clearly words
as they were teaching their learners. Some had
challenges with the spoken English and pronunciations
of some words for instance there was a teacher trainee
who would consistently pronounce the word „chiefs‟ as
„thieves‟ and another who used the Luganda word „era‟
meaning „also‟ for a minimum of forty-five times in a
lesson of forty minutes.
Interestingly, whereas the observations reported that only
36.4% of the teacher trainees observed in the lessons
were in position to articulate and pronounce their words
so well, on the variable of expression of one‟s ideas face
to face in a concise way so that one can easily be
understood, 78.7% of the teacher trainees supervised had
developed and mastered this art. They were in position to
fluently explain their points with use of relevant
examples and emphatic expressions on their face
supplemented by hand gestures. Indeed, in their own
perceptions, 86.7% of the teacher trainees that
participated in the study expressed that they had
developed this competence in the course of studying their
teacher education programs of Makerere University.
Besides the ability to express themselves face to face,
86.8% of the participating teacher trainees indicated that
they are in position to express their ideas even when they
differ from other people‟s ideas. This is a good attribute
in question interpretations that teacher trainees will
always be engaged in with their students as well as other
teachers they will be working with in their departments
at schools they will be employed or in national
examinations where some will be hired as examiners.
The politics in national examinations sometimes requires
those hired as examiners to be in position to articulate
their interpretation of questions before other examiners
so as not to disadvantage candidates they have been
teaching or that have been taught by other teachers but
still hold a similar interpretation. Thus, if 86.8% of
Makerere University‟s teacher trainees have developed
this competence, it implies that Ugandans are most likely
to receive independent minded teachers who will equally
be in position to mentor their students to be like them.
Unfortunately, lessons observed during school practice
indicated that there is a long way to have teacher trainees
with the ability to express opinions that are generally not
believed or accepted by set society standards as only
48.5% of the teacher trainees observed were in position
to counter argue their learners who held different ideas
from what they were explaining.

Similarly, 71% s of the teacher trainees hold the opinion
that they can speak the truth even when such information
can upset someone or make matters worse. Data
collected from observations of lessons also indicated that
54.6% of the teacher trainees observed were in position
to out rightly differ from their learners. This attribute
was mainly observed in Literature classes where teacher
trainees had to always differ from their learners on
matters of analysis of the various themes and character
traits of what they were teaching from the various novels
and drama books.
Teacher education pedagogy has also been in position to
help teacher trainees to develop the competence of
capturing other people‟s attention when one is talking.
Data collected from SAQ revealed that 82.2% of the
teacher trainees were of the view that they had
developed this skill likewise, 69.7% of the teacher
trainees that were supervised demonstrated this ability.
As they were in position to capture the attention of their
learners in both single (40 minutes) and double (80
minutes) lessons. Majority of the learners in teacher
trainees‟ classes appeared to be active and followed
lesson proceedings. As part of capturing attention of
those they are talking to, 75% of the teacher trainees also
believe they have developed the capacity to redirect
conversations where participants rattle on and on. 51.5%
of the observations conducted in teacher trainees‟ classes
agreed with this perception. Teacher trainees were seen
advising their learners to continue with the other aspects
of the lesson instead of spending their time of the lesson
on only one issue that could have generated too much
debates as well as discussions. For instance, in one
Christian Religious Education lesson that was dealing
with the significance of the ten commandments in Israel,
the teacher trainee had not adequately planned her
lesson. She did not talk about how the Israelites received
the ten commandments and how did the Israelites
prepare to receive the ten commandments. As she
proceeded with her lesson, there was a keen student who
asked her how Moses on behalf of the Israelites received
the ten commandments. The teacher advised her student
to read Exodus chapter 19, which the student did. After
reading the chapter there was no clear mention on how
the ten commandments were laid down to Moses. This
led to a discussion that almost was taking a third of the
time she had planned for the lesson. Consequently, the
teacher trainee told the class she will look up for the
facts and report to them another time they meet. This
helped her to proceed to the other aspects of the lesson.
75% and 73.7% of the teacher trainees also reported that
the different teacher education pedagogical activities
have enabled them to learnto compliment or praise
others as well as to receive compliments from others
respectively. Involvement in active teaching learning
activities like discussions and presentation as well as
emphasis for peer feedback among teacher trainees were
credited for being in position to enhance the
development of these competences. Lessons observed
revealed that 54.5% of the participating teacher trainees
complimented their learners who would volunteer
answers in the course of the lessons with words such as
„good attempt, excellent, well tried‟ and there was this
teacher trainee of Biology and Chemistry who had
mastered this art so well. Quite often you would hear
him calling upon the learners to clap for their colleagues
who had given right answers to his questions.
Up to 84.2% of the participating teacher trainees
indicated on the SAQs that they had developed the
ability to take appropriate amount of notes when
listening to others like lecturers and fellow students
while in class or outside. Some reported that they have
been working as secretaries to discussion groups in
preparation of group assignments and others that they
developed this competence in lectures where lecturers do
not dictate for them notes but bases their lectures on
handouts or pure lectures. 39.4% of lessons observed
also revealed that teacher trainees had developed this
competence through taking note of key points that
students would raise on the chalk board.
Lastly, 89.5% of the teacher trainees believe that they
can communicate with non-educational professionals.
The nature of the teachers‟ job requires them to talk with
the school bursar, secretaries, school nurses, security
personnel, matrons as well as parents from diverse
professional backgrounds. They have to communicate to
each of these stakeholders in a language that is
appropriate to them. Unfortunately, the time researchers
spent in the field observing teacher trainees‟ lessons,
they were unable or never took keen interest in
observing teacher trainees‟ interactions with other
stakeholders. But all the same, we give them the benefit
of doubt because in the course of their studies they
attend some of their lectures with students offering other
study programs from the servicing units of College of
Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Business
and Management Studies as well as College of Science
and Natural Resources.
CONCLUSIONS
The study indicates that to a large extent, teacher
education pedagogy of Makerere University develops
relevant verbal, nonverbal and interpersonal
communication competences among teacher trainees.
Unfortunately, reports from teacher trainees‟ SAQ are in
most cases way too high rated compared to what
researchers observed in lessons taught by teacher
trainees during school practice.
IMPLICATION FOR TEACHER
EDUCATION IN UGANDA
Teacher training institutions in Uganda are hereby called
upon to use student centered pedagogy to create an
atmosphere for teacher trainees to practice the various
communication competences during the course of their
studies.
REFERENCES
[1] O. Akinola, The Influence of Practical Teaching of
Oral Communication. International Journal on
Studies in English Language and Literature (IJSELL)
Volume 2, Issue 9, September 2014, PP 44-48.

[2] P. M. A. Carvalho, Communication Skills for
Teaching, 2007. Available at: https://web.phys.ksu
.edu/icpe/Publications/teach2/Pessoa.pdf
Retrieved on 8th August 2017
[3] M. Eskandarjouy, Pedagogical Communication,
2013. Available at: https://www.slideshare.net/mar
yameskandarjouy/pedagogical-communication
Retrived on 16th August 2017.
[4] S. Hunt, C. Simonds, & P.Cooper,
Communication and Teacher Education:
Exploring a Communication Course for All
Teachers, Communication Education, 51:1, 81-94,
2002. DOI: 10.1080/03634520216497. Available:
http://nca.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/03634
520216497 Retrived on 8th August 2017.
[5] U. Janthon, N.Songkram, & P.Koraneekij, Work-
based blended learning and technological
scaffolding system to enhance communication
skills for caregivers under Local Administrative
Organization, Ministry of Interior, Thailand (Part
I). Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences,
2015, 984 – 991.
[6] M. A. Kagoda, &A. B. Ezati, Secondary School
Teachers‟ Perception of “Teacher Professional
Development”:A Case Study of Teachers from
Five Districts of Uganda. Journal of Teacher
Education and Educators. Volume/Cilt 3,
Number/Sayı 2, 2014, 185-206. Available at:
http://jtee.org/document/issue6/MAKALE%203.pdf
[7] M. A. Kagoda, &J. Sentongo, Practicing
Teachers‟ Perceptions of Teacher Trainees:
Implications for Teacher Education. Horizon
Research Publishing, 2015. Available at:
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1056076.pdf
[8] Kivunja, C. (2014). Innovative Pedagogies in
Higher Education to Become Effective Teachers
of 21st Century Skills: Unpacking the Learning
and Innovations Skills Domain of the New
Learning Paradigm. International Journal of
Higher Education. Vol. 3, No. 4; 2014.
doi:10.5430/ijhe.v3n4p37
[9] J. K. Loy, Effective Teacher Communication
Skills and Teacher Quality. Dissertation Presented
in Partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the
Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate
School of the Ohio State University, 2006.
[10] McLoughlin, & J. Luca, Cognitive engagement
and higher order thinking through computer
conferencing: We know why but do we know
how? Teaching and Learning Forum, 2000.
Available at: http://www.c3l.uni-oldenburg.de/cde/
support/readings/loughlin.htm. Accessed on 11th
December, 2017.
[11] G. L. Planas, and L. N. Er, Innovations in
Teaching: A Systems Approach to Scaffold
Communication Skills Development. American
Journal of Pharmaceutical Education 2008; 72 (2)
Article 35.
[12] Reddy, Communication Skills Importance for
Teachers, Students & Employees, 2007.
Available: https://content.wisestep.com/communicat
ion-skills-importance-teachers-students-employees/
Retrieved 8th August 2017.

Role of Teacher Education Pedagogy in Developing Communication Competences among Teacher Trainees. A Case of Makerere University – Uganda

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (19)

Similar to Role of Teacher Education Pedagogy in Developing Communication Competences among Teacher Trainees. A Case of Makerere University – Uganda

Similar to Role of Teacher Education Pedagogy in Developing Communication Competences among Teacher Trainees. A Case of Makerere University – Uganda (20)

More from IJEID :: International Journal of Excellence Innovation and Development

More from IJEID :: International Journal of Excellence Innovation and Development (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Role of Teacher Education Pedagogy in Developing Communication Competences among Teacher Trainees. A Case of Makerere University – Uganda